Sir Ken Adam was a production designer most famous for his work on a number of the James Bond films.

Adam was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1921, where he lived with his family before they fled to England while he was a teenager. He studied architecture for a time before joining the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a pilot. He joined the No. 609 Squadron at RAF Lympne in October of 1943; as a German-born pilot flying for the RAF, had he been captured he was liable to be executed as a traitor rather than held as a POW. After his military service ended, he entered the film industry.

Adam’s first significant screen credit was as a production designer on the 1956 film Soho Incident, and he later worked on Ben-Hur and Around the World in 80 Days. It wasn’t until the 1960s, when he started working on the Bond films, that his career truly took off. His most famous set designs include the Pentagon War Room from Dr. Strangelove and the villain’s headquarters in Dr. No, in addition to designing the car from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He also contributed to Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds or Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Moonraker. Later credits include The Addams Family Values and The Madness of King George.

During his career he picked up multiple Academy Awards, for Barry Lyndon and for The Madness of King George, and was also nominated for Around the World in 80 Days, The Spy Who Loved Me and Addams Family Values.